Myrtle Beach, SC *UPDATED with lots of attraction/restaurant reviews*

Picture from www.idcide.com

So I am really excited about an upcoming trip to Myrtle Beach.  My family as been there before and always had a fabulous time.  We used to stay in North Myrtle Beach, and really enjoyed Barefoot Landing.  This time, since the kids are older, we are staying closer to the action at Sea Mist resort.  

Are there any tips about things we MUST DO while we're there?  It could cater to kids or not.  My extended family is also going, and my husband and I may sneak off on our anniversary, so places catering to any audience would be appreciated!  Thanks!




For instance, here is one place I bet we make it.  : )

Picture from www.myrtlebeachschotels.org

UPDATE 7/1/14:

We have come and gone and had a wonderful time.  We visited several places and ate out three times.  Here is an overview of our trip, along with my impressions of the attractions etc. we came across.

Sunday- arrived at Sea Mist.  This resort is a great place for kids.  They have entertainment every night.  A pool for every complex of rooms, including a kids activity pool and two indoor pools.  Some of the property is ocean front.  We stayed in a three-bedroom "cottage" that could conceivably sleep 12.  We were not ocean front but we could see it, and it was an easy walk.  Sea Mist also has a small water park (LOVE, lifeguards, lazy river, kids activity pool, and tube slide), mini golf, an arcade, a gift shop, a convenience store, and several restaurants/snack shacks.  The package we bought included a free breakfast buffet at Tena's for our entire party.  It was excellent.  I would highly recommend this upgrade for any group because in addition to the free breakfast, we also got tickets to Splashes waterpark (this is different than the on-site park) and Family Kingdom amusement park for EVERY DAY of our stay.

The downside to Sea Mist is that the rooms are super dated.  Although kept very clean they are bare-bones. You have to request a hair dryer from guest services if you forgot yours.  We also had to request pans for our kitchen. We were admittedly a bit disappointed when we walked into our rooms, but after unpacking and getting busy with our trip the decor never crossed our minds again.  Also fair warning, the 4 o'clock check in time can be a nightmare with long lines and waiting.  You may want to hold off till a bit later, or call ahead and see if your room can be ready early.  The staff are accomodating.  One sweet woman at the front desk even gave my husband extra tickets to the breakfast buffet when she saw he was having difficulty with something unrelated to the resort.  

All-in-all, if fun with the kids is your main concern, Sea Mist is a great option.

That night we ate at Loco Gecko.  They have a really fun atmosphere.  It set just the right tone for our vacation.  Be careful of drink prices though.  The Voodoo Punch which comes in a "bucket" of approximately 20 ounces cost $15.    The food was good, not great.  I had the dumpling appetizer.  They were out of the vegetable dumplings so I got the pork ones.  They had a great flavor but I had to ask for the sauce that came with them on the menu.  I also got a fruit salad.  It was covered in shaved coconut, but there was too much sauce and it was too sweet.  The fruit was the usual mix of unripe melons and grapes.  Not for me.  Still, as a group we had a good time.  It was open-air next to the street and festive.

Monday- We hit the pool in the morning, then watched the resort's complementary magic show that night.  It was The Wagsters.  It was fun.  The magician was in his early twenties and his wife assisted.  My kids and dad really had a good time.  The theatre room was small but pretty cool.  It had a bar and recliner-type seats for every audience member.  Gwendolyn was so inspired she spent her souvenir money on a magic kit and has been regaling us every since.

Tuesday-  Shopping!  We couldn't resist Barefoot Landing.  Still as great as ever.  The kids fed the huge carp and turtles, and mom shopped so everyone won.

Wednesday- Beach Day.  We went down the road a few miles to the state park beach.  It was less crowded than the resort beach but still full.  You have to pay $4 per person to get in.   In addition to the beach they have shelters, restrooms, and a playground.  They also have lifeguards.  The biggest downer was that they don't allow plastic floats in the water.  It was still a great day.  We flew kites, swam, and played in the sand.  Who could ask for more?

Since it was also our anniversary, Ronnie and I took off that night to eat out.  We chose SoHo, an asian restaurant.  We ate on the deck and our server was pleasant.  She recommended the Citrus Punch for a drink (delish!) and a beef and scallion appetizer that my husband loved.  The beef was tender and juicy.  I had sushi for my entree, which was good, but nothing any better than what we get in Kentucky.  The place wasn't crowded at all and we had a good time.  They also offer other styles of asian cuisine, like pad thai and lo mein, very eclectic.

Thursday- We went to Splashes.  The park is awkwardly divided into two sections, with a walk between them, as well as beach access.  The section you walk into has a sunbathing deck, five tall tube slides, a kiddie pool and slide, and two of those straight-down death defying waterslides that crazy people love. ; )  The other part has a larger kiddie pool and slide, a very nice lazy river, two enclosed slides, and a few chairs that face the beach.  We spent most of our time on the second side.  It was like heaven.  You could get in and out of the lazy river, and see your kids from the lounge chairs.  Every corner was also well covered by very diligent lifeguards.  FYI, those with Sea Mist complementary passes have to pick them up  across the street at the Family Kingdom will-call booth.  You can't get them at the waterpark entrance.

We watched Hunger Games: Catching Fire at the resort that night. Fun times.

Friday-  That night we went to Family Kingdom.  It doesn't open till 4, but its a great way to spend an afternoon.  There were rides for every age and Kaitlyn got her entire face painted like a tiger for free. (Tips only)

To celebrate our last night we went to eat at Mr. Fish.  The place had good reviews on urbanspoon and it lived up to them.  We had the fried green tomato tower for an appetizer.  The tomatoes are also piled with some fried shrimp and Boom Boom sauce.  Very good.  We also got a basket of hush puppies with the meal.  They were warm sweet bites and came with honey butter for dipping.  Yummy.  To finish up our pre-entree experience we ordered a pitcher of the berry sangria for the table.  It was very sweet and very berryific.  My mom didn't care for it, so the server brought her a complementary glass of wine that she recommended after asking mom a question or two.  Mom loved it.  For the dinner I got scallops, with sweet potato fries and salad. I loved the salad, mainly because it had mushrooms and most house salads don't.  The fries were good as well.  I detested the scallops.  It wasn't the restaurant's fault.  I have always wanted to try scallops seared very well like you see them on TV.  These were sauteed with no sear at all.  I just didn't care for the texture.  Again, my ignorance of what I was ordering was the problem.  They were very large scallops which everyone else at the table enjoyed for me.  I shared my husband's wonderful, not-overcooked shrimp.  The star of our table was the steam pot that my mom and brother-in-law shared.  It contained 12 whole crabs, potatoes, and corn.  It was truly a spectacle and ended up being so much that they sent three crabs back to the kitchen uneaten for the staff.  Our server said they were very well received. We were too full for dessert, but we boxed up all three varieties of their grit pies to take home.  We mainly ordered them out of curiosity since we'd never heard of such a thing.  Mom loved the coconut grit pie, but I didn't care for the ones I tried, chocolate and pecan.  They just didn't have any flavor.  It was really a great memorable meal, and an excellent way to wrap up our trip.

Saturday- Home again, home again.  Goodbye Myrtle Beach!